Traditional enchiladas were the first dish I ever made Mr. How Sweet, long before he put a ring on it. They are still his most requested dish… he generally begs for them once or twice a month. If I want him to do something, I make enchiladas. He will almost do anything for enchiladas.

Except get rid of the turkey. Or eat a meatless meal. I already tried that with enchiladas.
Since he can eat the same meal for four hundred years before getting bored, I make enchiladas quite a bit. They’ve worn out their welcome on me – unless someone else is making them. Then I’m all in. Why does food taste better when someone else makes it?

After last week’s enchilada request, I was determined to put some kind of spin on it. On a whim, I whisked some of our favorite BBQ sauce into a can of enchilada sauce. I was instantly hooked. I knew that sweet, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce were just what we needed to break out of our enchilada rut. It was happening.

The thing is, I made this big batch of enchiladas just for Mr. How Sweet. I’m going to be away for a few days this week and wanted to leave him something for lunches and dinners. Or should I say dinner. One pan lasts about 30 minutes in our house. And in the face of starvation, you never know what he will eat.
I assume it would look like eggs… ground turkey… steak… chicken… protein bars… steak… cookies… and chicken. And I am not coming home to a man house that smells like that.

I couldn’t help it though.

They just looked and smelled so delicious. One bite turned into two, two bites turned into an entire enchilada, and one enchilada turned into three. I’ve never been good at math.
And that is how I ate Mr. How Sweet’s lunch for the week.

To be honest, the idea of BBQ enchiladas has crossed my mind once or twice, but I was afraid it may taste a bit off.
If the combination scares you, don’t let it. It truly is so delicious – Mr. How Sweet and I agreed that these are just as fantastic as traditional enchiladas, but different. Different in a good way. Not different in a strange way, like bacon in a granola bar.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low-medium. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt, and let caramelize until soft and golden – about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, dump enchilada sauce into a bowl and whisk in your favorite BBQ sauce until combined.

Add shredded chicken to onions with BBQ seasoning and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Pour in about a half of a cup of enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture, and add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup colby cheese. Stir until mixture comes together and turn off heat.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with 1/2 + of chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish. Dump remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

The good news? Mr. How Sweet seems to be getting the hang of this whole marriage thing. Happy wife = happy life.

I’m planning out my meals for the week and just sent this blog post to Hasome for his approval. His response was… (are you sitting down?)…. “looks awesome to me, Honey, but can you please add bacon to it?”

what a novel concept! We haven’t tired of enchiladas (and we’ve been married over 3 years), but I might just have to try this spin anyway. If he likes them, maybe he’ll give up an X-Box night to watch Pride and Prejudice…

This seems like a natural. I love your spin on it, as always. It’s funny because I was just posting today the first meal I ever made for a boy – risotto. Hmmm. Maybe if I had made enchiladas instead he would have stuck around – although I’m pretty sure I’m glad he didn’t. Yummy.

OMG- this recipe is getting saved immediately. It has my boyfriend’s name written all over it.

Btw, I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I adore your recipes… I made both your snickerdoodles and hot cocoa cookies and they were both amazing! I got tremendous praise for those, and had to admit they weren’t my own concoctions.:)

I came upon your website today and … 2 hours later … was still reading! I can’t believe how many posts kept my attention! As a major food lover, you have reached my heart! Love your recipes, they are very … real! Can’t wait to try some. I’m a regular from now on!

So many times I see recipes that look good and I end up making them months later after they’ve been posted… not this one! We love enchiladas around my house, too, and I made them for dinner tonite. I only slightland tweaked the recipe (a little more BBQ and used a rotisserie chicken) and these are now in my top 3 list with PW’s White Chicken Enchiladas and Tidy Mom’s Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas!

I giggled as I read this as my Skinny Fat Kid is exactly like Mr. How Sweet! If I don’t make dinner, its a lot of sketchy protein with no sauce, no nothing. Egg whites, protein shakes and chicken.
He also has a love for enchiladas! I was going to make BBQ Chicken Burritos but I might have to switch to these after reading this recipe!

Just wanted you to know that I stuck this in my menu planning the second I saw it and finally made it tonight. I only made a few alterations based on what I had on hand (12 corn tortillas instead of 8 flour, med ched and jack instead of sharp and cojack etc)… but it was a hit! My husband and the kids all liked it. It’s going into my recipe binder where all the dinner hits go. Thanks for this great twist on an old favorite!
Angie

Last night, my friend that I haven’t seen in at least a year came over and we decided to make this together. It might just have been because it was 7 and we hadn’t eaten since that morning but, we were so tempted to devour everything without putting it in the oven, it smelled so good. But, we waited and it just got better. The second we heard the timer go off, we pulled them out of the oven and put them on our plates. Then, we finally dug in. And we were so happy with the blend of tastes that we decided I had to tell you that they are probably going to become a staple food in our house.

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About Jessica

I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.

I am madly, passionately, inexplicably in love with food. Bacon makes me beam. Chocolate makes me shout from the rooftops with joy. Vegetables and I are the best of frenemies. My perfect world would include none of them.
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